Harry Everts about Stefan, Liam, Jago, Jett, Jorge and Joël
Jonathan McCready from Gatedrop spoke to four-time world champion Harry Everts about his career, but also about Joel Robert, son Stefan who won ten world titles, grandson Liam, Jett Lawrence, Jorge Prado, Jeffrey Herlings, Jago Geerts and Tom Vialle. It was an extensive interview from a man who has seen and experienced everything in sports.
Harry Everts, you have ridden many MXoN races, what are your best memories of this event?
Harry Everts: Oooh, there are so many! At the Trophy des Nations I think I was selected 8 or 9 times and we won seven times. At the MXDN I was also picked five times and won twice. My son has since won many times and my grandson has also shown great things.
You have experienced this sport from the beginning? Who stands out as the best rider?
For myself, when I was still driving, it was Joël Robert. Joel was my hero. My uncle, Jef Teeuwissen too, but after that it was Joël Robert, he was number one for me. He was a natural! From old videos I've seen, he was very natural and stylish on the bike, even though they were older bikes. He had everything together. He picked me up, made a Puch engine, made the frame and sent me to the US in 1970. Then I became a factory rider at Puch and became world champion. Afterwards I went to Suzuki and won three more times. That was my life in motocross.
Did you learn a lot from him?
Yes, he was my hero and he really took me under his wing. He told me some tips like everyone else. You have to do it yourself, open your eyes and see a rider doing what he does, but you have to learn it yourself. You need someone next to you, but the most important thing is that you pick things up yourself.
Have you ridden the Trans AMA series? Was that a big racing series at the time?
In '74 and '75 I was second in one race, I won one race. For me it was a kind of training. I went to the US with the team, with all the big riders from Europe. It was the biggest series in the US at the time, it was something special when you're young.
Did you see Americans getting better every time you came to the US?
When I was there, the Americans were not that strong. Then they got better and better. But just like then, if you ignore the European riders and the Australians, America does not have such a large, broad field of top riders.
What do you think European riders have done over the last 10+ years to elevate themselves to the fastest riders in the world?
You go to California today and the tracks mostly remain dry. So the Americans are quickly on dry tracks! But when it rains and a lot changes, it's a completely different story. I remember Foxhill with Stefan, it was just an impossible task for the Americans. And also in Red Bud 2018 it rained and they were not good either, I think the French won then.
You won four world titles, did you ever think Stefan would win ten? Was that ever a goal for you? I know you worked closely with him, to see your son win ten world titles, that must be amazing?
You never think about it. You want to see your son win his first Grand Prix, that's winning something. Then you win another Grand Prix, then another, then he becomes world champion, and you think, ah good. Then one more, one more. And then he passed me (in titles) and it became more and more (he didn't mind Stefan beating his title streak) – I wanted him to win 20! Then he wins three races in one day, then he wins 100 GPs and becomes ten-time world champion. That's something special.
Stefan had the perfect style. In America, more riders are now starting to stand on the balls of their feet, but Stefan already did that as a teenager in the '90s. Did you coach him to do that, because his technique and balance were always perfect, that's probably why he was able to win ten titles!
He did it himself. I always stood upright because of my Polio, I didn't want to use my leg, that's why I stood on the bike so much. If it was a mud race I was always happy because I always rode standing up. I never taught Stefan to stand. Okay, when Liam started, Stefan put him in a good position on the bike, because Stefan rode so easily and Liam does the same, just like his dad.
Liam's progress over the past two years has been great. He will have a factory bike with the Red Bull KTM Team next year. You must be really excited to see his progress and how fast he is at the moment?
He still has to improve, but I think he will. He needs more technique in some places, I think he needs to become stronger with technique himself.
Do you think he will feel more pressure in a factory team next year?
A factory rider will be able to adapt more, so that is not a problem. He has to build up slowly like he is doing now and not go over the limit.
If you were to list all the greatest riders, from Joël Robert to Stefan, yourself, Ricky Carmichael, Stewart, Herlings, Cairoli... all these great guys and more. Who do you think is the very best in your eyes?
Of course I choose Stefan. Not because he is my son but he was a very special rider. If you are ten times world champion and win 101 Grand Prix you are very special. He retired when he was world champion, don't forget that. In Matterley Basin at the MXoN, he wanted to stop – I said why are you stopping? He could have won another world title, but he retired as a true world champion.
He said you were hard on him because you saw his talent...
No, it had nothing to do with talent. When I started riding I had nothing, I had to do everything myself, there wasn't much help then. I was born with Polio, people made jokes when I was in school because I had a very bad leg. I wanted to be a champion and I did everything myself. It was easier with Stefan there, but I wanted him to do it the way I had to do it. He had talent but making him tough was something else.
You can have talent and not do anything with it. You can be the best rider but if you don't train you will never become a champion. Some people say yes, give me a factory bike and I will be a champion. So it doesn't work that way. No, you have to be ready, that's the difference for me.
And that's what made him ten times world champion? The mind, the heart and the determination?
Joel had 50 GP victories (the record at the time), Stefan had 40, then 45 victories and he thought: I can pass Joël. Then it became 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 wins. For me it had become a habit: we win again and again and then go home (laughs).
The younger generation, like Jett Lawrence, rides standing up on the footpegs, just like Stefan.
I knew Jett when he came to Belgium. I saw him ride for the first time in Lommel with his brother Hunter. I immediately said: “wow, he will be a new winner, just like with Prado back then.” He came to my school when he was 12 years old, and I immediately went to KTM and said, 'we need this boy.' The rest is history. Prado is still a factory rider within the KTM group.
Jorge Prado and Jett Lawrence are two very technical riders, does that also apply to Tom Vialle?
I saw Jett ride in Belgium, we were together at Suzuki, I often trained with the Suzuki boys and Jett's father. Jett just has it.
Do you think he and Prado will be top performers in the future? Who do you see following in Herlings' footsteps?
Prado had some problems this year, I don't know why. He wasn't the same as before, I hope he's better next year. We will see. Jeffrey has to come back after a year of injuries. After a year without competition you don't know how he will return.
What is your idea about Herlings? He's amazingly fast, he gets injured a lot, but his speed is really good. What are your thoughts on his speed, style and technique?
Jeffrey Herlings doesn't have much technique but is a very strong boy. That makes him so fast, but technically he is not that special. But he has everything, in the deep sand no one can beat Jeffrey, he is a real winner with a lot of willpower. He is a very good rider, don't forget that otherwise he could not win so many GPs.
Jago Geerts rode the pace of Eli Tomac during the MXoN but had a very difficult end to the world championship. Together with Liam, he is Belgium's hope for a world title. Did you give him any advice on how to overcome such a big defeat?
No, no, I didn't give advice. You saw this year that he had everything well done, but he didn't finish it. What more can you say? I hoped he would become world champion. Jago is a good driver but misses some things. He had some bad luck, but so did some of the other guys.
I think he should have been world champion this year. I see a big mistake in that second moto in Turkey. Jago lost the title there because he crashed together with Vialle. But the lap before he was in the lead and he also made a mistake. Okay, this is racing. I was once in that position and in the running for the world title in the last GP. It's not easy in the mind, four or five riders could have become world champions back then. I told myself, you have to be calm, calm, calm, and yes, okay, I was lucky.
Tom Vialle performs very well under pressure, is that the big difference between him and Jago?
No, there was a moment when Vialle gave up a bit but afterwards he came back strong, and you can get better if you come from the back, don't forget that. Like Stefan who was once 72 points behind the leader, and he said he could become world champion. He did become world champion and I will never forget that.
How do you think Tom Vialle will adapt to America? Do you think he should go to America, or should he stay in MXGP and ride the 450?
If he goes to America, he will do well. He's a good supercross rider I heard, so he'll do well. That boy has a winning mentality.
Interview: Jonathan McCready
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